RACE TO THE TOP UPDATEPresented to the Board of Education

May 11, 2010By Dr. Tony Marchio

Several meetings have been held over the past two weeks explaining the Scope of Work (SOW) and the Memorandum of Understanding

(MOU) that districts are being asked to complete.

We are approaching this as a collaborative effort among

school officials, the AEA and the School Board

The exact amount of money that will come to the district is still

unclear. Our estimate is that it will be around $90,000 per year

for the next four years.

The Scope of Work must be in alignment with the 12 areas of

focus that are outlined in Delaware’s original grant

The 12 areas of focus are:

• Support the development of new standards, align curriculum to standards, and conduct assessments

• Build a culture of college- and career- readiness in schools by removing obstacles to, and actively supporting, student engagement and achievement

• Ensure implementation of instructional improvement systems and integrate State data coaches into instructional improvement systems

• Conduct evaluations, integrate State development coaches, and use State educator evaluations as a primary factor in teacher and principal development plans, promotion, advancement, retention, and removal

• Establish new educator career paths linked to evaluation• Ensure equitable distribution of effective teachers and principals

The 12 areas of focus are…cont’d

•Implement strategies to engage families and communities effectively in supporting the academic success of students (e.g. creating community-oriented schools that meet student’s social, emotional, and health needs)•Ensure that teachers and principals are effectively prepared•Adopt a State-identified model or another coherent approach to professional development (as approved by the State) and prioritize the highest-impact professional development•Accelerate the development of instructional leaders•Follow the process for turning around schools selected for the Partnership Zone in accordance with State regulations and provide support to low-achieving schools.

Our MOU must include the following information:

• Vision: – How will your LEA be different in 2014? – What will be different for students? For teachers and

administrators?

• Priorities Overview-What are your priorities? Whey did you choose them (e.g., what evidence supports your choice)?- How do your priorities fit together?

• Goals and Leading Indicators-What are your overall and annual targets, aligned with state-level goals- What indicators will you monitor to regularly assess your progress?

Our MOU must include the following information:

• Capacity to Implement and Sustain Plans- What capacity does the plan require at the LEA – and school level, and how will you build that capacity?- How will you sustain your plans after 2014?

• Success Factors and Possible Risks- What systems, people, and processes will you use to ensure your plan’s success?- How will you engage stakeholders?- What are possible risks, and how will you mitigate them?

Potential Areas of Focus

• Special education• Students New to the District• Graduation Rate• Math Performance• Achievement Gap• High Achieving Students• Quality of our Advanced Placement

Instruction• Teacher Computer Literacy

Our approach

• All areas of these areas are important have been in our strategic plan and should remain there

• We cannot allow these funds to take us off our game and divert us to an entirely direction

• Since funds are limited, we should focus especially hard on just a few areas with RTTT funding

Strategic Plan

Consolidated Grant

Race To The Top

Two areas that we feel could be augmented are:

• Acclimation Program for New Students

• Programs for High Achieving Students

Deadlines

• May 18 – First Draft

• June 2 – Second Draft

• June 18 – Final Draft